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Doha Climate Conference leads to a dangerous impasse

Statement by Dr. Thiemo Gropp, Director of the DESERTEC Foundation, on the uselessness of the Doha climate conference in Qatar, since countries can delay action by all thus blocking the consensus needed to move forward. Instead, countries need to take action unilaterally on climate change and to fund a climate bailout fund. Desertec is a European consortium that plans to build massive solar power projects in the North Africa and the Middle East. Emphasis added.

For the 18th UN Climate Change Conference around 20,000 people from over 190 countries have boarded planes to stay in air-conditioned hotels and produce huge amounts of CO2 all in the name of climate protection. And what is the result of almost two decades of this annual meeting? The world emits more CO2 today than ever before.

It really is quite absurd to jet so many people to a country with no discernible climate change plan so they can discuss what to do about climate change.

Climate protection is a global issue that cannot be solved by one country alone. But the premise of the UN climate conference that the start of comprehensive climate action must depend on the global consensus of all concerned parties brings us to a dangerous impasse. As long as countries believe that further negotiation can bring them economic advantages there will always be delay. What we need is a coalition of the willing committed to funding solutions from which all parties will benefit.